Patrick W. Corrigan > Quotes

“Severe mental illness has been likened to drug addiction, prostitution, and criminality (37,38). Unlike physical disabilities, persons with mental illness are perceived by the public to be in control of their disabilities and responsible for causing them (34,36). Furthermore, research respondents are less likely to pity persons with mental illness, instead reacting to psychiatric disability with anger and believing that help is not deserved”
― Patrick W. Corrigan, On The Stigma Of Mental Illness: Practical Strategies for Research and Social Change

“Several themes describe misconceptions about mental illness and corresponding stigmatizing attitudes. Media analyses of film and print have identified three: people with mental illness are homicidal maniacs who need to be feared; they have childlike perceptions of the world that should be marveled; or they are responsible for their illness because they have weak character (29-32)."

World Psychiatry. 2002 Feb; 1(1): 16–20.
PMCID: PMC1489832
Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness
PATRICK W CORRIGAN and AMY C WATSON”
― Patrick W. Corrigan

“The stigma of mental illness is first and foremost a social justice issue!”
― Patrick W. Corrigan, Challenging the Stigma of Mental Illness: Lessons for Therapists and Advocates

“Self-stigma refers to the state in which a person with mental illness has come to internalize the negative attitudes about mental illness and turns them against him- or herself.”
― Patrick W. Corrigan, Challenging the Stigma of Mental Illness: Lessons for Therapists and Advocates

“the stigma of severe mental illness leads to prejudice and discrimination. Stigmas are negative and erroneous attitudes about these persons. Unfortunately, stigma's impact on a person's life may be as harmful as the direct effects of the disease.”
― Patrick W. Corrigan

“Results of two independent factor analyses of the survey responses of more than 2000 English and American citizens parallel these findings (19,33):
- fear and exclusion: persons with severe mental illness should be feared and, therefore, be kept out of most communities;
- authoritarianism: persons with severe mental illness are irresponsible, so life decisions should be made by others;
- benevolence: persons with severe mental illness are childlike and need to be cared for."

World Psychiatry. 2002 Feb; 1(1): 16–20.
PMCID: PMC1489832
Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness
PATRICK W CORRIGAN and AMY C WATSON”
― Patrick W. Corrigan

“Although stigmatizing attitudes are not limited to mental illness, the public seems to disapprove persons with psychiatric disabilities significantly more than persons with related conditions such as physical illness (34-36). Severe mental illness has been likened to drug addiction, prostitution, and criminality (37,38). Unlike physical disabilities, persons with mental illness are perceived by the public to be in control of their disabilities and responsible for causing them (34,36). Furthermore, research respondents are less likely to pity persons with mental illness, instead reacting to psychiatric disability with anger and believing that help is not deserved (35,36,39)."

World Psychiatry. 2002 Feb; 1(1): 16–20.
PMCID: PMC1489832
Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness
PATRICK W CORRIGAN and AMY C WATSON”
― Patrick W. Corrigan

“Public stigma
Stereotype Negative belief about a group (e.g., dangerousness, incompetence, character weakness)

Prejudice Agreement with belief and/or negative emotional reaction (e.g., anger, fear)

Discrimination Behavior response to prejudice (e.g., avoidance, withhold employment and housing opportunities, withhold help)

Self-stigma
Stereotype Negative belief about the self (e.g., character weakness, incompetence)

Prejudice Agreement with belief, negative emotional reaction (e.g., low self-esteem, low self-efficacy)

Discrimination Behavior response to prejudice (e.g., fails to pursue work and housing opportunities)

Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World Psychiatry. Feb 2002; 1(1): 16–20.
PMCID: PMC1489832”
― Patrick W. Corrigan

“self-stigma is not a person's fault; nor is it a part of the person's illness!
If the public did not hold negative and stigmatizing attitudes in the first place, these would never have become internalized, causing people the painful and disabling experience of self-stigma.”
― Patrick W. Corrigan, Challenging the Stigma of Mental Illness: Lessons for Therapists and Advocates